Princess Pointlesshttps://princesspointless.wordpress.com
- Because you know the world has no point...ReallyFri, 26 Jan 2018 08:57:39 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngPrincess Pointlesshttps://princesspointless.wordpress.com
Jumping off the social media show…https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2015/10/16/jumping-off-the-social-media-show/
https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2015/10/16/jumping-off-the-social-media-show/#respondFri, 16 Oct 2015 08:50:43 +0000http://princesspointless.wordpress.com/?p=1157Continue reading →]]>Curious header, I know.
I mean… what am I doing right now???

But think about it for a second. Everything is connected these days. The TV is now infused with the Internet, our refrigerator is cabled to wi-fi updating both your phone and your stock… Even your watch is now possible to sync with your phone, taking your calls. (Apple has just ensured that people will now look at their products more than 100 times each day. Brilliant.). The Internet of Things have unused possibilities, for funny stuff, for marketing stuff – and for terrorism. The first consequence of living in a “networked economy” is that we are all dependent on each other. The number of fear-induced ensurances will likely increase the next 5 years or more).

That’s why I’m stepping off this train. Or – as much as I can at least.

Say hello to the Non Sharer – also called “NS”

You see… not so long ago, I was a food blogger. Not a very famous one, but that was OK. I had my own loyal gang of followers which I enjoyed writing content for. That was before life hit me hard. Long story short, I lost my zest for food blogging in one week. I still blog, but not often. Especially not here (as you would have noticed if you follow this blog regularly).

Before, I happily shared pictures of my food, my life… everything that I took a fancy to.

But these days I find myself getting more private about me and my life. Like I want to hide from the rest of the world. Why is it nessecary to share a picture of my food? Why should I make a selfie when I’m at the beach?

Stepping off the “Crap-train”

The more crap people are sharing, the less I want to be a part of this massively connected society. I don’t want an Apple Watch, I am seriously considering closing down my yearlong blog (if it wasn’t for all the great recipes I’ve been publishing online, I def. would!) and generally taking myself “off the market”, with Facebook and LinkedIn being the exception for this, since Facebook lets me close off my profile to others’ eyes – and have my own private spot on the net (haha – who am I kidding CIA??) – and LinkedIn is non-personal.

I’m finding myself going from a big sharer to a non-sharer. I only have one question in this regard:

…Is that how it feels getting older??

]]>https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2015/10/16/jumping-off-the-social-media-show/feed/0princesspointless#Hashtagging along…. 5 tips for stopping social media addicts from ruining your moodhttps://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/hashtagging-along-5-tips-for-stopping-social-media-addicts-from-ruining-your-mood/
https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/hashtagging-along-5-tips-for-stopping-social-media-addicts-from-ruining-your-mood/#respondFri, 26 Jun 2015 13:43:49 +0000http://princesspointless.wordpress.com/?p=1137Continue reading →]]>In these Instagram-Twitter-Facebook-GooglePlus – and all the other not so wellknown social media hotspots, hashtagging has become the new global child. With hashtags you can make your own statement, and if you’re lucky, several others will follow your example by hashtagging along with you about the same cause or theme.

So far a single picture on Instagram can result in up to 20 or more hashtags for everything ON the picture itself – AND the context itself – for example #food, #blogging, #healthy living, #interior und so weiter.

It’s come so far that sometimes people ends a complete sentence by adding (for example) “hashtag no homo” – meaning that what they’ve told (usually a guy) to – also usually a guy – is meant in a purely platonic way and is not in any way romantic. They actually add the word “hashtag” to what they’ve just said.

Of course that is the way with medias: Some of them are melting, integrating into each other – and some of them just disappears. (Quora, anyone???) However, all this integrating the online with the offline communication can be a bit confusing for some, and plainly annoying for others. Your grandparents for example… According to this author, hashtagging has become the epitome of the way people engage in social interactions – typing more on their smartphones than actually being present at gatherings with other people. No wonder there’s a lot of talk about how society has become more segregated! I mean – look at what they’re doing? Hashtagging along, desperately trying to be the leader of the social media crowd with the most fun or cool social media value, completely absorbed and not present… not even at the Oscar’s!

I think it’s a rare case today if you’re in your friends or acquaintances company, and there aren’t at least SOME of them whom at SOME point starts texting on their phone in some sort of social media. I once joined a party where everyone completely engrossed in commenting on the others’ tweets rather than BEING PRESENT. How’s that? This night I had deliberately put away my own phone for the sake of presence and for the enjoyment of being with people. Instead I ended up talking to my beer almost the whole time. Everyone at the table had efficiently removed themselves from the presence of people in the room with their phones. Sad really.

I think it’s sad. Just call me an old fart or old fashioned, but I think the highest form of etiquette nowadays is actually being with people, looking at them (and not anywhere else!) and listening to what they’re saying. That sort of attention will not come easily these days, nevertheless I think it’s about time we’ve started focusing on moving away from our phones and began being – and staying – present when we are together with people.

Now, how will I remind those who do not respect that? And what can you actually do when the smartphone-abuse kicks in?

I will tell you with these 5 tips for breaking the social media smartphone presence-killers:

1. Walk away, leave the table or company. When they run after you (after a while) just tell them that you came because you wanted to see them – not seeing them text on their social media newsfeed. If they can’t respect you or the fact that they’ve been rude… well, you weren’t that important anyway!

2. Start talking to another person at another table/in another group which you don’t know, but hopefully does not look at his phone during your conversation. When your friend shows up and asks who this is and why you’re talking, answer with a light “Oh, I really enjoy talking to people”. Smile and ask “Have you finished your conversation or do you need a few more minutes?” By all means, try to be polite while doing this, otherwise it won’t have any effect.

3. Pick up a book or magazine and start reading or something alike, until they discover your absence and asks what you’re doing. Smile and asks them that you hope they didn’t mind you took off to do your own thing because they seemed occupied elsewhere and you hate to waste your time with people who is not present.

4. Go to the bathroom and stay out there for a long, long time. When they’re finally done with their online conversations they will start to wonder where you are.

5. If nothing else works, tell them in no uncertain terms that you feel pretty annoyed and slighty offended that their online activity/newsfeed is more important than your company.

Of course there is a silver lining to everything. And answering an important sms/call or looking up the next bus is perfectly OK. Like all other things it’s a delicate balance. If you start to feel ignored, annoyed or that you are not paid as much attention as you’d like, well, you’re probably right! Therefore: Take action. Refuse to be a part of their bad manners, and take action. They probably don’t know how their behavior affect your feelings, but I say you owe them by telling them – either by actions or words.

What difference does it make if I have a Twitter app, a Facebook app, an Instagram app or Google Plus app? If all I get is the same content, no matter where I am online, I could delete most of the stuff just and contain it all in a single, collective app that weeded out the double-posts and content and left me with the truly unique stuff.

If I had such an app (and believe me – if it’s not already there, I’m sure it will be here soon, I just have to discover it!) I could not only save a lot of disc space on my tablet/smartphone etc. – I could also save myself the “cloud dust” from a lot of social media and online services.

I think all the “smart stuff” is just that. Smart. Smart for those who earn a living by sending out a lot of social media content throughout the day.

It’s smart that you can reach all your followers on Twitter AND Tumblr/Instagram/Snapchat/Facebook/whatever by only writing a single update and schedule all of the updates to come by automatically – but seriously? I’m growing a bit tired of it. Reading the same content no matter which app or webpage I use WILL affect my opinion of them. Sure, it’s time consuming to maintain all your social media profiles and ensure that you’re posting and updating content to your network and also work on creating immerse and social-sharing-worthy, relevant, engaging stuff… But think about it.

Do you think I want to read about the newest addition to the shop when I log on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and/or Instagram within 10 minutes of checking my phone and my favorite apps?? Because… that’s what mobile users do. We scroll through social media apps like we scroll through our Instagram newsfeed.

My message to you is: NO.

If you have some truly share-worthy content no doubt you should do your best to tell your fellow followers about it. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge and then you’re off to a great start. Other times it needs a bit more maturing and nursing.

The social media is fantastic. It offers great opportunities – but you can do yourself a disservice by sharing the same content everywhere. We have a word for that in English. It’s called… cheap.
Do you want to cheapefize your content by doing that? Do you want people to get tired of you so fast? No? Then why do you keep doing exactly that?

So… what could you do instead?

First of all you should decide which media offers the most value to you. If your life is neatly tucked in the Facebook with event planning, friends you see often and communicate with, interest groups and so on, Facebook should be where you’re at. Facebook is for the reaching out and staying in contact. Facebook can be a time manager for your social schedule and offers comfort, entertainment (yes, all those celebrities you follow – I know your little secrets ;-)) and fun. If you’re on Facebook, be true to the media and yourself by putting only your important personal stuff here. As far as I know, Facebook have a picture editing function too, so you don’t really need Instagram for that…

Research/explore the buzzwords attached to the media channel. Twitter is for sharing knowledge and building knowledge networks, asking a random question and get answers from people you don’t know by #hashtagging your content. Twitter is awesome for connecting with people within your (professional) area in a more social and engaging way than LinkedIn. Twitter is for social media what hobby groups was for the world before the internet. Instagram/Pinterest is primarly for showcasing you stuff and creating a social edge to it, Pinterest is for inspiration and sharing mouth watering content. Instagram is about engaging socially while working your campaign – either professionally or personal. It’s about emotional engagement more than sharing stuff others can share with others (Pinterest). I could go on but you probably get the message. Find out where your heart feels at home – and stick to it.

Do not bring your unique content to other social media channels, unless they are very much alike – Facebook and Instagram have lot of common traits for example. And still – consider it before you go all in. If you have a lot of followers/fans at Facebook then they are sure to follow you on Instagram too. But in the long run it gets boring to look at the exact same messages and content in both medias. On Twitter I often find myself missing the “LIKE”-button on content for example. Don’t fall in that trap.

The best way you can diverse yourself and stand out is by posting killer content in only ONE or TWO carefully selected channels. And still, you should shape your content to match the media, and not duplicate it without further thought. If you’ve written a fabulous e-book about a hot topic or trending content or whatever – be sure to emphasize the fact that this content is ONLY in *this* media – and maybe will be send out later with a newsletter with further information on the topic. Or you can increase the interest rates by putting up a teaser about this new content you’re working at and they will soon find it at your Facebook page or blog or whatever. But only tell it to your fans on Facebook for example. I tell you the secret here is… ta-da: SCARCITY. If only those who are your fans can have this e-book and can know about it – well, then you will probably see the number of fans/followers and such rise quite a bit if it contains all the other important content rules for social media: Relevancy, greatness and value (it’s free for example). It’s really all there is to it: Scarcity. Scarcity will make others take notice and value your content more.

You don’t want that insanely expensive car only for the sake of the mechanics, now do you? A part of the pleasure is the feeling of being unique, by standing out in a positive way. Don’t lie to me or yourself – some part of you thrive on being different, as long as you’re not thrown out of the “cave”. We need the closeness to other people and to know we are alike to truly feel our own uniqueness.

You don’t need fancy strategies if your content is made with passion and comes from the heart. When you put your heart (or back) into it, people will feel your passion and your dedication. By choosing a selected few to share yourself or your content with, you will feel a stronger familiarity with the media – and they will feel a stronger connection to you, feeling special, because you know that they will not get this content from any other place. Social media is… social. Therefore: Socialize as only a human being is able to do!

These two concepts is so interwoven that you can’t mention the first without also mentioning the last. Because if you have money, you have power. Period. There is no getting around it. When you have money, you have the power to buy everything within your reach. The interesting thing is though that in reality you don’t need “a lot of money” to feel rich. You don’t need a million of it – a few hundred or thousands can do the trick just fine. But it comes with a built-in trickster: The more you have, the more you want! Either power or money. Often both.

The ability to feel powerful because you have (enough) money is something I believe lies deep within us as human beings. We are a habitual species. We thrive in groups, but within those groups there is hierarchies as well as fears. The one in the group who has the most valuable asset(s) (and that doesn’t even have to do with money at all) also holds the most powerful position in the group; while the one(s) with less power holds a fear of being excluded because of it. This could be on a purely societal level or organizational/institutional level. Or it could be in your personal relationships. R-e-l-a-t-i-o-n-s is the key here. Because without relations you cannot have power. That fact is often forgotten because individualism rules the day. But to feel power – or powerless – we need other people’s validation of our power. In the Western world, money is widely accepted as THE power tool. That’s because of materialism is the core foundation of our society. Money can buy you power, freedom and everything within. But – as the latest financial crisis have shown – the fact remains this: That great power (= money) comes with great responsibility, no matter if you’re a huge financial institutions an individual. You can yield your power for the good or for the bad. It’s really up to you. Which leads me to the next point in this blog post:

The less power you have – the more money you want.

It does sounds familiar doesn’t it?
Personal experience has taught me that this is what makes people “tick”. If you haven’t a lot of influence on your life’s situation, if you struggle with a bad job and/or low wages, if you haven’t got a job and feel “poor” compared to the people you are in a relationship with (see? Relations… again). … There are a lot of scenarios which can make us small humans feel powerless. It could also be that the relationship with your spouse and/or family makes you feel powerless, or that life circumstances have left you with a feeling of loss instead of personal enrichment.

This is an example we’ve all seen several times: A person who feels insecure about his/her own worth. What do they do? Maybe they find a job where they earn a huge amount money and gain a lot of professional power. The money earned is put into expensive stuff such as clothes, gadgets, cars, new apartments and so on. The rest is invested in stocks and shares. The funny thing is, however, that even while some people have so much money and power – some of them still feels insecure about themselves. Money can buy you power – but it can’t buy you (self)love.

Another example: A woman who has been struggling with money all of her life. It always feels like she doesn’t have “enough” money. She is alone and struggles with the bills every month. For this woman, monetary power is a far fetched theme. For her, money is a golden egg, and she always talks about how expensive everything has become, forgetting how her existing blessings is right in front of her. In this case: Money and power can create a heady drug if you feel powerless in your own life.

So. Let me ask you…

Do you feel powerless in your life? Loveless? Feeling there’s something in your life that is missing and do you feel miserable about it? Here’s my advice: Start by loving and accepting yourself. Self love can make you feel richer than the richest Arabian. Spend your money wisely – e.g. on yourself and how to cope with the challenges in life. Spend your money on learning how to be happy WITHOUT money. When you’ve mastered this the money will flow into your life as a result. Because now you know what REALLY matters. And that’s you, including the good people in your life. Studies have shown that people who spend some of their money on others are more happy than people who only spend their money on themselves. Giving is very rewarding.

There is something about the phrase “the more you give, the more you receive”. It’s true. So start giving yourself your unrequited love today

Remember Jenny in the movie Forest Gump shouting for him to use those legs?

He did it. Running so fast that he grew a beard and stuff.
Running has always held a certain fascination for humans. Was it because of the Marathon? Let a man run – barefoot – 41,5 kilometers, with only two small leather scraps on his feet – to change the outcome of war. If nothing else, it certainly shows his determination to a cause. That lonely Greek was probably hungry because his lunch hour had long gone away and tired of running errands for his boss – but he did it anyway, because thousand’s of human lives depended on him. He changed history… and everything else. At least for the coming generations in the Olympics…

So, running can’t be all that bad, can it?
Not if you ask the runners. “Runner’s high” is a well-known phenomenon in these circles. It’s completely whacked… Just when your body is too bloody tired and screaming at you for doing what you do – suddenly you are infused with superhuman powers and becomes serene, calm and you feel like you could do this all day. It’s like the body is your boss screaming at you to do your work, when suddenly you gain superhuman powers and just look at him and smile – and then lift that car with your little finger. So – even if those 40-ish kilometers under the burning sun was a b*tch – I bet that a lot of the trip was spent “on a high” for that Greek dude…

I have gone from running just 10 minutes – until one day, I hit the magic spot and then I just ran. And ran. And ran. It was magic really, how I suddenly was able to run with no tiredness or heavy legs. It was the best aphrodisiac, 100% natural endorphines man. Endorphines are the “feel-good” hormones that is an active ingredient in the best things of life…Happiness. Love. Eating icecream. Going horizontal. And yes – sport. The harder your body works, the faster you get your “high”. The phrase “no pain, no gain!” must have something to do with those hormones…

I guess the runners’ fascination with their sport is to be found in your own mental ability to “win” over our body. When the mind fights the tiredness, the muscle soreness and our breath that screams we must stop – suddenly the body gives up. Just like your boss. And then you smile and lift the car up from the ground with a finger. Or “run into” runners high (pun intended…)
If you’ve put yourself at this gunpoint one or several times, you know how this feels. You reach a state where you “just run” – like a frigging Nike ad. Actually, they should pay you money for running about with their stuff on your precious body in the city, right?

I think running is to engage in war with yourself. Being so hard on the body, it’s a war that will only be won with patience and stubbornness. Do you give up when everything screams and tells you to stop? Or do you keep going, even if your legs are hurting like a “B”? There’s a reason as to why a lot of CEO’s and managers find a well performed marathon is a bigger asset on their CV than how many year’s they’ve spent managing their company. Leaders must stand in the fire and take it all, being tough and not complain, but still keeping up with the great results. It’s no easy task. They need all the will power they have. And what is a marathon if not a battle of wills? It’s one of the toughest battles between your body and your mind. Ok, scratch that. Today *the* leading managers tends to wear themselves out by doing an Iron Man. No, not the film, stupid. The sport

For me, running helps taking the edge of my mood or my thoughts. If I’m having a really bad problem – I put on my running shoes and go for a trip around the neighborhood. This works wonders for my messy brain. I am addicted to running. Not because I have a lot of problems. But because I need an outlet for my energy after looking into a screen the whole day!

Well, he knows that “sex sells” – so he creates an exhibition where people are painting naked people (as in an artclass) – and downunder 2 couples and a single is having sex.
Controversial one could say. But look at the picture in the bottom right of the pic then. If you’re English, I can tell you that the headline says something like: “Get a close view on the violent fights in Syria”.

There is so much violence in this world. So much pain, so many people not treated the way they were supposed to be treated. At the same time the main stream segment in Denmark thinks it is very controversial to have 5 people “making out” in a small studio in Jutland, Denmark?

Excuse me?

Now tell me – what is the worst thing: People celebrating life – or people taking lives?

Somehow violence in the media is broadly accepted as a thing we can’t avoid.
But two people doing something – *gasp* – naked?!!!!! NO! Absolutely NO!!!! That is just so wrong, close your eyes children! And do not dare to engage in this bad stuff untill you’re AT LEAST married!!!! Or – in Denmark – untill you’re at least 15 years old…
Oh, you’re playing Call of Duty? Well, no problem sonny boy, just remember to do your homework.

And by the way – a scenario with a hetero couple, a lesbian couple and a girl making out – in their own beds, mind you – is not REALLY controversial.

Now, if you take a pig and an old man, or a male gay couple having sex… THAT would be something to talk about!

]]>https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/sex-is-evil-brutal-violence-bring-it-on/feed/3dr1.dkprincesspointlessdr1.dkEgoism killed the pop band…https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/egoism-killed-the-pop-band-23-2/
https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/egoism-killed-the-pop-band-23-2/#respondSat, 21 Jul 2012 20:33:42 +0000http://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/egoism-killed-the-pop-band-23/Continue reading →]]>This evening I had an interesting conversation with my BF.
For some reason we talked about idols, pop bands and the 1990’s versus the 2000’s – and the difference between those two decades when it comes to to pop icon worshipping and general fan behavior at that time versus today.

We both agreed that these days you don’t see a lot of pop bands hitting the best selling shelf on either iTunes or Spotify. And if there really is a pop band among those, we all know, that no matter how talented group members, it will always be the lead singer who gains the most attention from the fans.

Back in my youth-youth, as a blemish-ridden-Doc Marten-boots-wearing-teenager I clearly remember names such as Backstreet Boys, N’Sync (Whom we all know fostered Justin Timberlake’s career anyway!), Destiny’s Child (hello, Beoncé), TLC, Spice Girls, Westlife, Aqua, Five, Another Level, Take That (did I hear the word “Robbie”???) and a shitload of other boy- or girl bands of more or less similar name-style. One thing almost all of them had in common was: Only one of the band members actually had some degree of talent and broke out later – only to be launched with a single career in the 2000’s after the fan oproar had died down and a new target group had grown old enough to buy their music… and if you were really lucky, you’d be a doll lining the shelf of the toy stores too! (……..)

(some of the songs have pretty bad sound quality – but we all remember them anyhow. Isn’t that right?!)

In the 1990’s the collectivism ruled in the pop industry. In the 2000’s the egoism had taken over. True – Britney and Christina Aguilera was huge pop singers in the 1900’s also – but the number of single female or male pop singers in these years seems to me as being rather limited than they are now?

These days we have Bruno Mars, Kate Perry, Beyoncé, Kayne West, Lady Ga-Ga, Justin Timberlake, Britney (well, she HAS released something these past ten years, so I guess that counts for at least something), Madonn- no, forget her, she’s been here like… forever.
But also Nicole Scherzinger, Adele, Kelly Clarkson – and on the men’s side: Usher, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber (*puke*) and Chris Brown – just to mention a few.

Of course – there will always be pop bands – but the number are pretty limited in my mind, comparing to how many I remember from my youth. (Or is it just me remembering my youth more clearly than the present?!)

Also, I think the degree to which girls (or boys for that matter) cut out pictures in the magazines and put them on the walls of their rooms have faded pretty darn much, compared to like… 10 or 15 years ago. These days everyone is on YouTube and the iPhone-effect on Generation Youth have brought people together faster than Jason Biggs put an apple pie in front of his privates in 1999.
Oh my gosh! I really MUST be old… cause that’s how far away MY youth is. *a lot of swearing words* *throwing things at the wall*

Their new, nifty we’ll-handle-everything-in-your-digital-life-for-you application “Google Now” is already getting some pretty decent reviews.
Its clear that Google have given this app some serious thought, since the information is not pulled – its pushed. Automatically. When you need it. And even better if you’re standing in a airport. Although its not very often – if at all – I need the flight schedule today.

I have an iPhone, and I never spend time with Siri – though she actuallytries to of some assistance in a supposedly friendly manner. But since I’m Danish, I don’t want to name my mother “Mother” in my contacts, when the Danish word for mom is “Mor”. Sorry, that just doesn’t wash. If Siri don’t know my “Mor” – well, she can go where the horned man goes – straight south.

Therefore I’m actually a bit jealous of the Android owners. Google Now is smartly crafted, even though its said it needs some adjusting. But overall Google has got the hang of it. Information when you need it. Google is nothing if not an information warehouse – and they clearly got the hang of producing beta-look-ish software to help people performing everyday tasks. The Google Now app has taken away the need to check several apps – for my bus, for the weather, for sports results/news and so on.

At the same time, Google Now is a manifestation of the notion that the digital lifestyle has become a bigger hasle than convenience. Our phones is capable of so many things – although I’m still waiting for it to bring my clothes to the cleaner. But still – there’s an app for every-bluidy-thing in this world. And more. But very few of them is capable of combining facts and useful information in ONE app. Therefore the information gets fractured and we must look it up in several steps and ditto apps. The weather forecast has one great app. The bus schedule is in another. My bank is a third. Oh wait. Scratch that. Google will NOT be getting my personal bank information. Period.

But the concept is still valid though.
And because Google is the Big Brother that knows everything and all about everyone, everyone will benefit from this app. So if you’re a programmer and think your own sample-everything-in-one-app-even-your-bank-account should be noticed, I must dissapoint you and remind you of the Google-World-Domination-Program they are running “over there”. Your own app is probably great (exept for the bank-thingy) – but everyone knows Google – and Google is already a favorite and not you.

The conclusion?
The future information landscape will increase the need for even more advanced push-based information centres – Google Now is just the beginning. I’m counting on it (come on, launch that incredible intelligent app for iPhone, damn it!!!)

]]>https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/the-future-is-here-now/feed/0adksksprincesspointlessSuck my…. blood. 5 reasons to why vampires became mainstreamhttps://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/5-reasons-vampires-became-mainstream/
https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/5-reasons-vampires-became-mainstream/#respondSat, 23 Jun 2012 21:42:32 +0000http://princesspointless.wordpress.com/?p=552Continue reading →]]>A couple of years ago I was hostess at a book café for a bunch of teenagers. The topic was the biggest, meanest vampire/paranormal blast that the reader’s world had experienced since Harry Potter hit the shelves. A white, sullen teenage-vampire named Edward were more popular than even Justin Bieber. Or maybe Justin Bieber is somewhat more popular (he certainly knows how to merchandise his success). Anyway, the popularity competition was pretty equal. I can say that, because I don’t think a pretty lot of mothers have a crush – or anything like it – on Bieber. No thank you!

But Edward… a sulky teenager made of words from a female mormone and thereby able to fit every woman’s concept of The Perfect Partner… he was one hell of a rage amongst several moms. Man, those pictures were scary! Add the number of those mothers with the World’s population of teenagers = more females than even Justin Bieber can count as fans… (Any males reading Twilight, thinking Edward was cool, wisely shut up their mouths. I can’t blame them…)

The truth is though – Edward is the reason we have seen the vampires being “re-vamped” so to speak. Vampires are sexy, sleek creatures of the night who seduces you with sweet words, cold skin and sharp teeth and a breath that must stink with the leftovers from their latest “strawberry” smoothie! Whatever suits you.

I, for one, have read my fair share of vampire stories. Always found them fascinating. But that was just me in my teenage years, looooong before Edward entered the scene. So why was it, that a average woman with dubious, religious character succeeded with her stunt? This blog post is my version of why that happened:

1. A vacuum.
The literary world for teenagers were in a vacuum after Harry Potter. The next book were eons away and the fans needed something to fill out the time after magic spells and weird looking trolls. Two shy teenagers with a fondness for virgin sex were just the trick to blow life into the teenagers’ longing hearts.
Plus: The plot was different, but the paranormal element was still there, and the story also contained a bunch of stupid boys…

2. Money
Now, I know that merchandise can only buy you so many readers. But its a fact that the World’s population is constantly on the hunt for The Evergreen Youth, and vampires are just the thing – they have Youth in spades and can sell out if it, being frozen into shape early in their life. As usual we wouldn’t like some old, waggling crone, now would we? No sex appeal in that – unless the old crone is the EVIL GRANDMOTHER with personality that matches her ugly nose.
Add to that: Lots of teenagers with a lots of friends. Plus – how much blunt do you need to put down in order to buy a book? Not much. And teenagers love to read about other (sulky) teenagers whose parents are jerks, and then the Magical Prince walks in and sweeps the girl up with the elegance they long to posses instead of knocking knees and dental braces. Hello… Beverly Hills anyone?

Look at those legs, guys!

3. The classical plot
Boy meets girl. Girl is attracted. Guy rejects her. Girl is hurt. Girl turns to her childhood friend – which is, by the way, a werewolf. Guy deserts girl. Girl is hurt and almost dies of heartbreak. Girl’s childhood friend saves her life. Girls’ childhood friend declares his feelings. Childhood friend and girl is attracted to each other. First guy can’t live without girl. Comes back. Girl is in dilemma. Girl chooses first guy. Childhood friend is angry – and go play with his friends. Which, by the way, are werewolfs.
Evil things are hunting society. Guy protects girl. End of part one.
Audience goes mad for part two.
You can probably see my point here. Even if the setting is in a vampires world – all the classical, dramaturgy elements are present with love, rejection, drama, external threat that brings the lovers together again and so on. By following a certain pattern and content it doesn’t matter if you’re Mr. Darcy and Charlotte – or Edward and Emma. The most addictive drug is longing and forbidden love. If your father tells you not to drink – what do you do? Go drinking like you were left with only one day to live in. The same thing appears in Twilight. And pretty much all other romance books.

4. Distribution – and pricing

It’s far easier to have your story published than – let’s say – read the whole Bible. Today you can read the books digitally, download an audio book, stream info and whatever not. The costs of distributing books have spiraled down and readers are not banging the bookstore’s door to get their favorite story. They know the internet, they can get the stuff in pretty much any way they want. This puts pressure on the bookstores – but it’s great for publishers and writers, since you can reach a much bigger audience this way. The first book in the The Trylle Trilogy was sold on Amazon for only a few bucks. Amanda Hocking did the right thing. Sure – she didn’t earn an awful lot of money with each sale – but when first the fever had hit several customers, the wave of downloads made her able to determine her succes, which was clear: She had hit a BIG audience. The second book was more expensive – but her readers kept on and her revenue soared. Get the point? Great. Now get that writing engine up and running!

5. Community
With a bigger distribution network, the results worked their magic, establishing big networks of fans on the net. Blogposts, forums and Tweets made its way throughout the net and were harvested in these online communities were it was discussed in same fashion as the president’s new strategy is debated in the Tea Party. And let’s not talk about fan fiction, shall we? That shady business is right now getting a lot of attention…
At Amazon’s own network, Shelfari, readers are still debating whether Emma should’ve chosen Jakob over Edward. (If you ask me, I have always had a fondness for dogs, so of course I would have chosen Jacob over Edward – I have a fondness for warmth, especially when I creep into bed!)

Bingo. Your book is a success.

Congratulations!

]]>https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/5-reasons-vampires-became-mainstream/feed/0twilightprincesspointlessThe prisoner’s dilemmahttps://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/the-prisoners-dilemma/
https://princesspointless.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/the-prisoners-dilemma/#respondTue, 05 Jun 2012 19:12:14 +0000http://princesspointless.wordpress.com/?p=470Continue reading →]]>The prisoner’s dilemma is originally some dude’s theory about how to play a game. Honesty I never did understand that bit of rubbish in the economics class

Anyhow I thought I might like to use the theory’s title for this blogpost, because not all of us are prisoners in a jail, trying to betray each other to get out first. Although the last part of that sentence expresses exactly how I feel at times, these times being when I enter a shopping mall.

Seriously.
Is there any other place where your senses are bombarded and you panic because you can’t find the exit? Or is it just me and my female shopping-alert brain that convulses in a “Please! No more!!” fit of shopping anxiety?
I feel like a prisoner, and just can’t seem to grasp all the possible roads to take down through that damned aisle! Should I buy a Guerlain lipstick in a golden case? Or should I grab the newest fragrance from this or that brand? What to choose? There is so many opportunities, where to start, where to end, I want something perfect! More times than not I just end up with… nothing.

HELP!!!

‘Cause there is no Perfect Solution.
Even then, it is a fact that sellers who attempt – and succeed – in narrowing down the customer’s choice has a bright future. Life is just too complex these days to manage the ever growing list of choices we must make every single day. And I’m not only talking about shopping. We have a vast land of choices: from which coffee-to-go, to which school we put our kids into. Some of the choices require more research than others – all the while our society becomes a boiling kettle filled with “information overload”. We have so much information gathered on the internet, and more than half of it is actually produced the past 2-3 years alone. Crazy right? BIG data systems is the future guys. No shit.

The giant, hulking shopping malls are a leftover dinosaur from a time when “information overload” was a foreign concept and the list of choices for a avarage person per day were limited to “Brown or blue trousers” or “black or blue tie” – you do the math. It left a vacuum in society where exotic shopping malls with billions of different goods were king. I think one can say with certainty that shopping malls are only useful if you know exactly what you want and can’t get the stuff any other place.

Endless floors with shops and shops… A leftover industrial dinosaur?

Today and in the future consumers will reward smart shops that narrow down the line of choices to the bare necessities. It’s not only happening – it’s happening fast! The “Apple” generation craves simplicity, user friendliness. If you can’t give them that – then you can KISS your revenue goodbye! Not only is a small stocked shop easier to handle, but it’s also cheaper in tied up inventory capital. I’m not kidding. I don’t even want to contemplate the costs of big malls’ inventories.

I would love to tell you that all that jazz about Scandinavian design has the grab of it. But sadly no. It doesn’t. However, limiting the choices is all about having a great product, because otherwise your shop will come out sorely lacking. This puts pressure on all the stupid cheap Chinese goods – and believe me, they don’t do anyone any good. Neither the factory workers who’s slaving +10 hours a day to make them, the environment or us. But try telling 70% of the population that – all they seem to care about is getting the latest offer of 3 for 2’s price! Sigh. I know I can’t change people’s minds and what they think give value in life – but I’m a bit saddened at the thought that the majority of the Danish population spend so many money on craptastic things that is thrown out within a year anyway.

That might be one of the reasons why Apple-products are so popular (and so expensive). Great design combined with a steep price ensures that the gadgets goes from you to your kids and the great design means that you enjoy using your gadget every time you grab it in your pocket.

Simple design is already happening. From business solutions

To personal portfolio: This might be a tad too simple, even for me – but nevertheless I find it a cool way to present yourself:

And… it isn’t really a surprise… They still got the hang of it in Apple…

The future is here now – and the mobile revolution is already going on. The more you succeed in making Complex into something Simple yet deep – the more customers you will have. Hello, shopping malls: Are you listening?!